From Nakuru to innovating ventilators at Kenyatta University

My name is Cynthia Thuo, currently a Fifth-Year student at Kenyatta University. I am studying for a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, specialising in telecommunications. I am a member of Tiba-Vent, a team of 15 students at Kenyatta University who have innovated a ventilator.

Steve jobs once said, “You cannot connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards”. My journey began as a little girl with dreams to follow a path that would lead to attaining the highest standards of education so that I could transform the world around me.

I believe that education is the level ground that bridges people with resources, skills and connections that eventually actualise their dreams.

Back in high school, Nakuru Girls High School to be precise, I wanted to be a medical doctor. However, life is full of surprises, as I found my passion in electrical and electronics engineering. I realised that as an engineer, I could bring solutions to human problems in any sphere using technology. I made the decision to enrol at Kenyatta University. It has been one of the best decisions I have made thus far.

KU is, after all, a place where the bridge between theoretical laws and their practical applications in laboratories and workshops are built. The availability of the practical approach has made me appreciate the magic in engineering.

Additionally, the providence of time in internal and external attachment has further led to deeper understanding in my area of specialisation.

The university supports students in acquiring internships and further follows up by assigning supervisors to individual students to ensure the experience they acquire is of the highest quality. For instance, I was attached to KPLC (Kenya Power and Lighting Company). The support offered by the university before, during and after the attachment was epic.

I have witnessed young, agile and tenacious minds meet wise, experienced and pragmatic minds. The coexistence of the two has led to a successful symbiotic relationship that empowers students to think widely and broadly about providing practical solutions to the most pressing challenges.

During my third year of study, a core group of students decided to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Kenyatta University Branch, with the help of our current branch chair. The initiative was student driven, but the assistance from our lecturers, Patron, Dean and Chair of our department was amazing.

The success of this initiative demonstrates the openness of our institution to support the young, innovative minds. 

Kenyatta University encourages education of the girl child, the poor and the disabled. In the quest to look for successful women professionals, the university has been in the forefront. In the school of engineering, it has been a great encouragement to other lady engineers to pursue the profession. Our lecturers encourage young women to be agile in their various fields.

Innovation is held highly at Kenyatta University. Which is why we have the Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre, where innovations are nurtured to maturity until they are relayed to the market. It is here that the idea of the Tiba-Vent was born.

When Covid-19 struck Kenya in March, students came up with a mechanical ventilator that would assist Covid-19 patients in breathing. In the project, I chaired the signal processing team. This involved getting signals from transducers, conditioning them by removing noise and amplification and computing the corresponding physical parameters being measured. When the project was relayed to the school, they readily welcomed us and offered immense assistance.

It was at IEEE Centre of Excellence that the project was nurtured. The abundance of advice by mentors, who are our lecturers, went a great mile in the prevention of re-invention of a wheel. So far, all glory to the almighty God.

I am truly grateful to our Vice-Chancellor, Prof Paul Wainaina, for his unwavering support on innovation. It has been through his help that an enabling environment has been created for us to innovate.